Improvement in water-wheels



C. REDHELD.

Water-Wheels.

N0.\48,384. Patented March10.1874.

Witnesses. Inventor. fi r {@600 Attorneys.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES REDFIELI), OF .\'E\\' YORK, X. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

S ecification fonnirg part of Letters Patuit No. [48,381, dated March l0, 1674; application tiled February 7, 1874.

To all whom it may concern lle it known that l, CnAnLEs Rnnrmu), of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and lmproved Water- \\'heel; and I do hereby declare that the following is a to, clear, and exactdescription ot' the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this speeitieation, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalsectional elevation; and Fig. .3, a plan view.

The invention relates to, and consists in, means whereby (in spilally-tlanged waterwheels) there may be used a greater head of water than is practicable under ordinary cireumstances, and whereby a greater force may be thus applied than is usually possible.

A represents the cylindrical case; 13, the open bed-piece; L, a flange by which they are connected and attached together; and l), the cover. 1' is the water-wheelshalt, on which are located the two spiral blades or buckets 1- l, carriul in opposite directions around it. (l is the bridge-tree, whose adjustable pivotpin g receives the socketed end of shaft, and allows the latter to turn freely thereon. His a rotary cylinder, to which are rigidly attached the buckt ts l I", so that the buckets, the shaft, and this cylinder may revolve together. This greatly relieves the retarding friction of the water, that usually strikes the stationary cylinder in which the buckets move, aml augments the velocity or power which is usually generated by a. given current of water. I is the pen-stock, and J branches, the latter capable altogether of discharging the maximum of water that can come through the former. K is a series of adjustable gates that slide vertically in front of the branches J, and graduate the sup ly of water passed through them. As the riction of the running water over the spiral buckets causes the wheel to turn, aml as a stream beyond a certain volume only causes the wheel to carry a greater weight, and tends to clog its movement, it becomes an important question how to apply a given volume of water so as to produce the greatest amount of friction upon the spiral buckets as it runs through the wheel. 1 tirst provide for a greater surthce contact between water and buckets, by making two spiral buckets, which not only cooperate in turning the wheel, but, by maintaining a corresponding weight of water on each side of wheel, enable it to run more steadily, and with less counteracting friction.

By using two or more branches to the pen- Stoek, the stream, that,pourcd in a body upon one spiral flange would only obstruct aml have less efi'ect than a moiety thereof, is made fully to double the actuating power by being divided into two parts, aml poured separately upon the diti'erent spiral buckets. liy means of the independent gates, the water may be always equally divided, no matter what may be the volume passing through the pen-stock, or in case of a very diminished supply (only suflieient; properly to operate one bucket) all the gates but one may be closed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The combination, with cylindrical case A I) and superposed pen-stock l J, provided with adjustable gates, ot'the vertical shaft E, spiral flanges F F, aml cylinder II, all made fast and rotating together, as and for the purpose specified.

CHAS. REDFlELl).

Witnesses:

A. P. Tunua, '1. B. Mosnsn. 

